Introduction to Winter Toy Collections

Like many, the holidays are our favorite and busiest time of the year. This year has been even busier than normal with our founder, Sasha, appearing on Good Morning America Thanksgiving morning, and with our exciting toy drive partnership with Old Spice and Kidville. To everyone who is just discovering and donating to Second Chance Toys™ for the first time, welcome!

Here’s a brief overview of how toy collecting works:

Our volunteers collect used plastic toys

• We accept exclusively plastic toys (that's because they clean up easily, rarely show age/overuse, and they won’t biodegrade in landfills)
• Please wipe down toys to clean them before donating
• Toys should be in working order, new batteries installed if necessary
• Make sure toys are big enough to reduce choking hazards for little ones (they should not be able to fit through a toilet paper roll)

Dropping off toys

• Our website has drop off locations listed by metro area
• This year's drop-off deadline is December 15
• Toys are then delivered to organizations who have expressed a need for toys
• Don't see a drop off location near you? Consider starting a collection next year! It takes just 50 toys to be matched with an organization
• We hold two toy drives annually: One for the holidays and for Earth Day in April

Our Guarantees:

We vet and confirm EVERY ORGANIZATION requesting toys to make sure they are who they say they are. We also vet every toy collector to make sure they intend to donate the toys they collect. We GUARANTEE that every toy you donate goes directly to a child in need. That means toys are either donated to an organization and kids play with them on-site, or they’re gifted directly to children as a gift to open for Christmas. 

Since the term giving something a "second chance" is common, we want you to be aware that similarly named businesses might exist. But, as we state above, your toy donations through Second Chance Toys™ are always going to go to a child in need. Thank you for your support and for giving your/your kids’ toys a second chance!